Saving energy and costs in Buckinghamshire

The use of street light switch off is a current and controversial topic, with a number of councils in the UK receiving mixed attention for turning off street lighting. Whatever the personal stance on the subject, it is evident that the desire to reduce environmental pollution whilst saving costs is high on the agenda.

Increased awareness of environmental and expenditure issues has inspired the road Engineering team at Buckinghamshire County Council to pioneer innovative ways of reducing street lighting, incorporating other safety measures such as improved white lining, better signage and better road delineation.

Unlike some authorities whom initially advocated reducing energy usage by a complete switch off between certain hours, Buckinghamshire have taken a more considered approach by targeting rural street lighting, with the benefits of urban street lighting, such as pedestrian safety, being unaffected. The scheme also ensured road safety was not compromised, by the introduction of other safety measures such as better signage and the use of Astucia SolarLite road studs.

Phase 1 of the streetlight switch off trial which commenced in 2007 was considered a success, saving in the region of £15,000 a year in energy costs and 90 tonnes of carbon emissions. A second phase trial is now underway, comprising of 39 sites, including 11 where  Astucia studs are being used. Significant reductions in energy costs and carbon emissions are expected with the switching off of nearly 3,000 street lights in rural locations.

The three year trial includes regular site inspection with monitoring and an ongoing safety audit process including a large number of factors from collision records, Crime & Disorder monitoring to inspections of signing, lining, road studs and foliage by Local Area Technicians.

Graham Muspratt, Product Manager commented “We are delighted to be involved in this forward thinking project with Buckinghamshire County Council, and I am pleased to report that so far during the trial there have been no reported night time accidents on the stretches of the rural roads using Astucia Studs."